Heroes
Connal Ragnirsson - Jarecki
Jarod - Jacek
Ren Howl - Adrian
Steven - Leon
After two weeks spent on cleaning mess, healing wounded, arcanists' forces gathered on border Grey Haunt's domain border and War council began. Carlin the Lame or Archgod of Magic as he ordered to call himself took possession of Cylinder of Nether and with help of it woven his essence into system of magic. Lacking skills and intelligence he used raw power to achieve end other achieved with help of knowledge. Nevertheless, his domain was blight upon Netheril's face and it's existence threatened empire and magic. Iolaum concluded that if cylinder was removed, Grey Haunt will fail and peace will be restored.. Moreover, heroes could with help of it protect their home island. They suggested they could be able to save Mystra too.
War Council agreed that it was necessary to attack simultaneously: armies were ordered to march inside domain of Grey Haunt, while on border magic battle erupted. Meanwhile heroes were to sneak inside Carlin's hideout and to deal with cylinder of Nether. While flying to desert city, heroes witnessed with their eyes what Grey Haunt had created. Where they saw desert previously, there were green pastures and forests. Where dry land was, verdant landscapes erupted to existence. Ruined and bleak city was replaced by bursting and alive metropolis. Above it a huge colossus loomed, a mountain carved in shape of new god of magic - Carlin the Grey. Everywhere were signs of his propaganda, statues, sculptures, paintings. Ren recognised images of himself, Connal, Avelon and Kyril, all presented as treasonous, petty individuals, fruitlessly conspiring against benevolent Carlin.
While they were looking around, an army began to march out of city. It consisted legions of gnolls, orcs and desert barbarians. Cirles of yuan-ti slithered in their wake, huge bats flew above, all bent to destruction and dedicated to their master's cause. Bur he had chosen to remain hidden inside mountain.
Party moved to Grey Haunt's hideout. Doors they entered a monastery was reinforced and defended by potent trap. Jarod was struck by Death Spell but thanks to Connal's magic he survived. Uppermost room was stable. It was guarded by nightmare that attacked heroes on sight. It was defeated and they found chained unicorn, named Niriam. It warned heroes about two iron golems, that guarded throne room nearby. After defeating them, not so small task, heroes explored area: there were plenty of other rooms and staircase there. On the other side of Gates of Justice was a prison full f people and cliff to two them down. Other rooms consisted of bookkeeping chamber and foundry, where Moloch, a huge iron monstrosity was kept. Inside it's belly was huge oven, where many people died. Behind Moloch's chamber was a shrine dedicated t outer beings, but heroes kept out of it. Descending by staircase hidden in study, heroes discovered second prison, where hungry men were kept. Forced to endure horrors beyond imagination, they were slowly turned into ghoules. After dealing with them and searching rest of complex, heroes found a hiding chamber, where behind a band of wights Carlin covered.
Undead were no match for heroes. Quickly dispatched, they proved to be no guards for Carlin, who teleported himself to niche in vast, vertical tunnel. But he underestimated Ren, who jumped upon him and chocked his undead life out of him. But heroes realised, that Carlin, despite his lack of power, knowledge and intelligence, achieved semi lichedom. He used Gorma's body but where was his phylactery? Nervously heroes sorted options and remembered that during exploration, they had seen many objects of magic exhibited. One of them was crude magical ring, crafted by Carlin himself. Ren fetched it, while rest of party harnessed cylinder of Nether. When grouped again, they used scroll Iolaum gave them and triggered dispell of time conduit spell.
Whole party arrived in cave of fire. Heroes thrown Carlin's phylactery into fire, where it melted, destroying his spirit for ever, once and for all. When they got out of cave, found glade as empty, as before. In the Nroth snows must have fallen deep, but here, in the Vilhoon Reach air was warm and pleasant. Looking at stars, Ren knew it is few days after Midwinter. Next morning Connal contacted with Reiner, priest of Mysta, sent to Averwest. He replied with surprised: "Are you alive? Where have you been for last fifteen years??"
Behind a DM screen
- All heroes advanced one level up, Steven two.
- Lich's spells and statistics were based upon Carlin's.
